Michael O'Neill is already looking ahead to Northern Ireland's next qualifier
Wednesday 17 October 2012 19:16, UK
Image:Michael O'Neill: Not getting carried away after Portugal draw
Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill insists his side's morale-boosting draw in Portugal will only mean something if they can win their next World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan.
Proud
O'Neill feels the commitment, passion and unity that underpinned Tuesday's draw suggests there will be more enjoyable results in the future.
"This is a team that is in its infancy in many ways, it's a transitional period for us, so to see them play with that spirit and discipline makes me immensely proud," said O'Neill.
"This is a group who want to learn and progress and have nights like this, to perform for Northern Ireland and make people proud of them again."
The Luxembourg draw raised questions about the team's ability to close out results, but O'Neill feels they provided a perfect answer on this occasion.
"We said before the game that the most important thing was not to let anyone question their character," he said.
"They certainly did that from one to 11, and there are also lads who didn't get involved in the match who have worked hard all week too.
"It was a huge success for us and hopefully a step in the right direction."
